Canterbury takes to the road

Anyone who has owned a piece of rugby gear, even if that only constitutes watching the game like me will know the name Canterbury, they have a rich history having been committed to the game of rugby for 111 years. They are currently the team kit supplier to England Rugby and Ireland Rugby as well as Bath, Leinster and Cardiff Blues. Not a bad pedigree, they can also count both Australia and New Zealand in their history. Canterbury are the Official Sportswear Supplier for Rugby World Cup 2015 and their logo will be seen on Officials and as well as England, Ireland, Japan and Namibia rugby teams will wear the famous name.

.The company’s interest has extended to grassroots and development level rugby for many years and they currently supply playing apparel to hundreds of school and club sides throughout the UK.

In the year of the Rugby World Cup Canterbury are taking to the road with the Ultimate Rugby Roadshow! They’ll make a 3 month tour of England and Ireland, allowing fans to step into the footsteps of their rugby idols through a host of interactive experiences and storytelling, cementing the brands commitment to the game over the past 111 years.

Fans from across the nation will be immersed into a host of rugby experiences, including the chance to win a very special one-to-one training session with Canterbury ambassador and England star Sam Burgess as part of the Canterbury speed test, which is touring the country to find the quickest rugby fan England and Ireland have to offer. I’m certain the queue for that challenge will be a mile long at every venue!

Some fans will also be lucky enough to meet their local rugby heroes as they turn out alongside supporters to take part in the brand roadshow, demonstrating their own commitment to the game amongst the people that so passionately follow the sport week in, week out.

The roadshow will be making 14 stops across England and Ireland, and started in Exeter on 6th August before finishing in Trafalgar Square on 31st October, bringing to life the dedication of fans and players across the two countries from the grassroots to the professional level.

In addition to these experiences, two different changing room areas have been created to take fans on a journey from the grassroots level of the sport through to the experiences of the professional player, with inspirational touches such as Canterbury Ambassador Will Greenwood’s genuine England under 21 match shirt on display for supporters to see.

Describing the launch of the roadshow, Canterbury CEO, Chris Stephenson, said, “We’re proud to be telling our story to rugby fans across the country and are delighted to be able to reward them with this innovative experience. Players and supporters from every part of the nation show their commitment to the game on a daily basis and we wanted to display that dedication in a way that includes the people at the heart of these stories.” After kicking off in Exeter, the Canterbury brand roadshow will visit Bath, Leicester, Belfast, Galway, Cork, Dublin, Twickenham, Cardiff, Newham and Manchester, before finishing in Trafalgar Square, London. The list of dates and venues is below – time to get your diary out as this tour makes its way around the 2 countries! I can see I’ll be doing my best to head to Trafalgar Square! 8th August Bath, SouthGate Shopping Centre 15th August Leicester, Highcross Shopping Centre 25th August Belfast, Victoria Square Shopping Centre 26th August Galway, Eryre Square Centre 27th August Cork, Mahon Point Shopping Centre 29th August Dublin, Aviva Stadium 5th September Twickenham, West Fan Village 18th – 20th September Cardiff Arms Park RWC Fan Zone 23rd – 26th September Newham RWC Fan Zone 9th – 11th October Manchester RWC Fan Zone 23rd – 25th October Trafalgar Square RWC Fan Zone 30th – 31st October Trafalgar Square RWC Fan Zone